Oil well pipe racking platform



Aug. 25, 1,964 I-I. J. wooLsLAYER ETAL 3,145,802

OIL WELL PIPE RACKING PLATFORM Filed July 3l, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug- 25, 1964 H` J. wooLsLAYl-:R ETAL 3,145,802

oIL WELL PIPE PACKING PLATFORM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3l, 1963 l f l s i 'lllllllllildl/Illl Aug. 25, 1964 Filed July 31, 1963 H. J. WOOLSLAYER ETAL OIL. WELL PIPE RACKING PLATFORM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O 3,145,802 GIL WELL PIPE RACKING PLATFORM Homer J. Wooislayer, Tulsa, Charles C. Chism, Broken Arrow, and Cecil Jenkins, Tulsa, Okla., assignors t Lee C. Moore Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 31, 1963, Ser. No. 298,940 7 Claims. (Cl. 132-114) This invention relates to pipe racking platforms for oil well derricks and masts.

In oil well drilling practice it is customary to stand lengths of drill pipe, commonly in 90 foot stands, inside the derrick while the pipe is withdrawn from the hole to change the drilling bit. In order to move the stands of pipe into and out of position, a man stands on a platform near the upper ends of the stands and manipulates each one between the place where he disconnected it from the elevator and the place where the pipe rests in the pipe rack. The rack usually has parallel horizontal fingers extending from one side of the derrick toward the opposite side, and the fingers often have laterally projecting hooks to separate and help hold the pipe stands. The platform on which the man stands is movable so that it can be placed where he can reach the elevator and the part of the pipe rack that is to receive the pipe. Therefore, in the beginning the platform usually is located in an area that later must accommodate stands of pipe, so the platform must be moved as the rack is filled up. Where a very large number of stands of pipe is involved, it is diflicult to find a place for a movable platform that will enable the derrick man to reach both the elevator and the most remote area of the pipe rack. As larger setbacks are used, the derrick mans job becomes more and more diflicult. In some cases the fingers, between which the pipe are stood, provide a footing or platform for the man, but with larger diameter pipe the spaces between the fingers becomes so large that the lingers do not provide safe footmg.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a pipe racking platform, in which the unused rack lingers form a safe platform for the derrick man to walk on, and in which the position of each finger can be changed in succession to make room for successive rows of pipe stands as needed.

In accordance with this invention a horizontal beam is rigidly fastened to the side of a derrick. At one side of the beam there is a plurality of parallel horizontal floor boards that have ends overlying the beam in spaced relation with it. When the beam is inside a conventional A derrick, the floor boards extend from the beam inwardly toward the well. Projecting downward from the bottom of each board is a series of hooks spaced lengthwise of the board. The ends of the boards over the beam are ICC FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sections taken on the lines III-III and IV-IV, respectively, of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of one corner of the racking platform, with one of the pivoted fingers turned on edge;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of the platform taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. l to 4 of the drawings, a portion of a standard derrick is shown that is provided with four comer legs 1 rigidly connected by horizontal girts 2 and 3 and the usual braces (not shown). Up in the derrick at the level where the derrick man stands there is a pipe racking platform for supporting him and receiving stands of pipe that he releases from the elevator. The foundation of the platform is a rigid horizontal beam 4 that extends along one side of the derrick. This beam may be supported in various ways, but preferably carries brackets S at its opposite ends that can be bolted at different predetermined levels to a pair of parallel upright angle bars 6 and 7 securely fastened to the adjoining girts. Near one Vend of the beam there is a fixed platform 8, the outer end of which is mounted on the beam and the inner end of which is supported by inclined braces 9 that extend down to a horizontal pipe 10. The opposite ends of this pipe are secured to brackets 11 that can be adjusted up or down the upright angle bars 6 and 7 when the position of the fixed platform is changed with beam 4.

Between the fixed platform and the opposite end of beam 4 there is a plurality of parallel horizontal metal floor boards 13, each of which may be about six inches wide, although the width is not critical. They extend n lengthwise of the fixed platform and their outer ends overlie the beam as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. Their inner ends are unsupported. Some of these floor boards will be at least as long as the fixed platform, while those farthest from that platform may be even longer, all depending on conditions within the derrick. To support Y near or laterally beyond one edge of the associated floor supported by bracketsrigidly secured to them but pivotn ally connected to the beam on parallel horizontal axes.

With this arrangement, the boards can be positioned closely enough together to provide safe footing for the derrick man, but they can be swung laterally with their supporting brackets in order to turn the boards on edge to form pipe rack lingers having laterally projecting hooks. Each time a board is turned on edge in this manner it is moved far enough away from the next horizontal board to admit drill pipe stands between them and into the recesses formed by the lateral hooks.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of an oil well derrick, showing our pipe racking platform;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line Il-II of FIG. l;

board as shown in FIG. 6, and the relationship of the pins to the boards is such that the boards can be swung on the pins in order to rest the boards on edge on the beam. To make this possible the pivoted ends of the horizontal boards are spaced from the beam by suitable spacers, such as small angle members 16 secured to the bottoms of the floor boards and normally resting on top of the beam. To help keep the free inner ends of the floor boards in a common horizontal plane, it is desirable to fasten a lug 17 to the top of the inner end of each one and extend it laterally therefrom at the side of the borad opposite to its pivoted side, so that the lug will overlap and be supported by the adjacent board.

Rigidly and permanently mounted on edge on the end of beam 4 remote from the fixed platform is a long narrow metal board 19 similar to the others but serving only as a fixed finger, from the inner face of which a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks 20 project more or less horizontally toward the movable floor boards. The distance between the free ends of the hooks and the adjoining horizontal floor board is great enough to permit pipe stands to be moved along the space between that board and the hooks and into the spaces between the hooks. The fixed finger is braced by an inclined brace 21 extending from its inner and downwardly and outwardly to upright angle bar 7. Several feet below the fixed finger an adjustable horizontal pipe support finger 22 extends across the derrick and has its ends secured to angle brackets 23 that are detachably connected to two of the girts 3. The stands of pipe held by the fixed finger also lean against this supporting finger, which takes the weight of the pipes and prevents them from bending the fixed finger.

Projecting downward from the bottom of each horizontal floor board 13 is a series of hooks 25 spaced longitudinally of the board. Of course, as long as the floor boards are horizontal and being walked on, these hooks are beneath the platform as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and serve no purpose. However, as soon as the spaces between the hooks of the fixed finger are filled with pipe stands, the derrick man swings the adjacent floor board up and over toward the fixed finger 19 and down on edge on the beam to form the second finger. This swinging can be done by means of a handle 26 secured to the outer end of the floor board. Rotation of the floor board from a horizontal to a vertical or ori-edge position swings its hooks up into horizontal position and simultaneously blocks the spaces between the hooks on the fixed finger so that the pipes are locked therein as shown in FlG. 5. Due to the distance that Ithe fioor board was swung laterally, enough space is provided between the outer ends of its hooks and the adjacent or second pivoted floor board to admit pipes between them.

As each row of pipe-receiving spaces is filled with pipe, the next floor board is swung into its on-edge position to form a racking finger, so that the derrick man works himself backward across the remaining horizontal floor boards toward the fixed platform. it will be seen that he always has a good working platform to stand on that extends from the fixed platform right up to the edge of the space into which he is manipulating the pipe from the inner ends of the fingers. Consequently, it makes no difference how many fingers are used, because he can always easily reach the elevator and the hooks 25 to which he is delivering the pipe or from which he is removing it to return to the elevator. A big advantage of our platform is that for any given level of use, it is unnecessary to change the location of the fixed platform S as pipe are added to the slots between the fingers or removed therefrom for return to the well.

Although this platform has been described as mounted inside a standard derrick, it will be understood that it also can be used in the usual pipe racking area of a cantilever drilling mast.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. An oil well pipe racking platform for use at a high elevation beside a string of drill pipes, the platform comprising a plurality of parallel horizontal floor boards, a series of hooks spaced longitudinally of each board and projecting downward from its bottom, supporting means for one end of the boards, means for rigidly fastening said supporting means to a support, means pivotally connecting the boards to said supporting means 0n parallel horizontal axes, and manually operable means for pivoting the boards on said axes to turn the boards on edge to form racking fingers having hooks projecting laterally therefrom.

2. An oil well pipe racking platform according to claim l, in which said manually operable means are handles projecting upwardly from the floor boards adjacent said one end.

3. An oil well pipe racking platform for use at a high elevation beside a string of drill pipes, the platform comprising a horizontal beam, means for rigidly fastening the beam to a support, a plurality of parallel horizontal lioor boards at one side of the beam having ends overlying it, a series of hooks spaced longitudinally of each board and projecting downward from its bottom, brackets rigidly secured to said board ends, means pivotally connecting the brackets to the beam on parallel horizontal axes to support the boards, and manually operable means for swinging the boards on said axes in a common direction to turn the boards on edge to form racking fingers having hooks projecting substantially horizontlaly therefrom.

4. An oil well pipe racking platform according to claim 3, including means spacing said ends of the fioor boards from said beam before the boards are turned on edge.

5. An oil well pipe racking platform according to claim 3, in which there is a fixed racking finger at the side of the platform toward which said boards are swung, said fixed finger being spaced from the adjacent floor board, and a series of hooks spaced longitudinally of the fixed finger and projecting laterally from the side next to said adjacent floor board.

6. An oil well pipe racking platform according to claim 3, including a fixed floor member disposed at the side of the racking platform away from which said floor boards are swung.

7. An oil well pipe racking platform for use at a high elevation beside a string of drill pipes, the platform comprising a horizontal beam, means for rigidly fastening the beam to a support, a plurality of parallel horizontal fioor boards at one side of the beam having ends overlying it, a series of hooks spaced longitudinally of each board and projecting downward from its bottom, a bracket rigidly secured to each of said board ends and projecting downwardly and laterally outward away from one edge of the board, means located laterally outward of said board edge pivotally connecting the bracket to the beam on a horizontal axis, and manually operable means for swinging the board on said axis to turn the board on edge to form a racking finger having hooks projecting substantially horizontally therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l 

1. AN OIL WELL PIPE RACKING PLATFORM FOR USE AT A HIGH ELEVATION BESIDE A STRING OF DRILL PIPES, THE PLATFORM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL HORIZONTAL FLOOR BOARDS, A SERIES OF HOOKS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF EACH BOARD AND PROJECTING DOWNWARD FROM ITS BOTTOM, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR ONE END OF THE BOARDS, MEANS FOR RIGIDLY FASTENING SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO SUPPORT, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE BOARDS TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS ON PARALLEL HORIZONTAL AXES, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR PIVOTING THE BOARDS ON SAID AXES TO TURN THE BOARDS ON EDGE TO FORM RACKING FINGERS HAVING HOOKS PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM. 